Blah Blah Cafe, the Jean-Michel Jarre forum

[Finaero]

Are you referring to the, uh, "boing-boing" effect at 00:48?

If so, that one is definitely on the LEFT side followed by the human vocal sound a few seconds later on the RIGHT one in both the 1984 and 1997 CD versions (1984 version is the "01 - Ethnicolor" one in the pic below)

(Also, only now did I realize that there's a bit more of the intro scream in the original CD, the [edit: Dec]2024 one also fades in (accompanied by background noise) a lot quicker than the 1997 version)

[Jote]

Yes. Although that "boing-boing" is also a human vocal sound.

Btw. when you mention "2024" version you need to specify whether you're talking about the "November 2024" version or "December 2024" version. I guess we'll now have 5½ editions of Zoolook, adding to the already existing mess and confusion.

The November 2024 version has the "boing-boing" in the left channel, the December 2024 version has it in the right channel.

[Finaero]

Yes. Although that "boing-boing" is also a human vocal sound.

Oh yeah, true!

[shadow]

Sadly yes, but given that I couldn't pick them up on my laptop speakers this time it means they are much subtler (also they are definitely not in the same spots). But yeah, they're still there and it really wouldn't be hard to remove them. It would be likely a 10-minute job, most of which would be listening carefully to pinpoint them.

Genuinely don't think even that, throw an automatic click remover over it would probably even suffice. But alas, somehow they have two different remasters now from (seemingly) two different sources, both having one problem in common. Genuinely very curious if their equipment is messed up since the clicks are not in the exact same spot. It's an utter insane thing to see unfold and I'm just utterly at a loss any artist could seemingly care so little about how their work is presented to the masses.
And unironically, remember how Music for Supermarkets was a statement against the commercialization of music? Well, yeah... Here we are, pushing music out for 'special' occasions and in this quality. Irony comes at you one way or another.

[plate of chips]

Sadly yes, but given that I couldn't pick them up on my laptop speakers this time it means they are much subtler (also they are definitely not in the same spots). But yeah, they're still there and it really wouldn't be hard to remove them. It would be likely a 10-minute job, most of which would be listening carefully to pinpoint them.

Genuinely don't think even that, throw an automatic click remover over it would probably even suffice. But alas, somehow they have two different remasters now from (seemingly) two different sources, both having one problem in common. Genuinely very curious if their equipment is messed up since the clicks are not in the exact same spot. It's an utter insane thing to see unfold and I'm just utterly at a loss any artist could seemingly care so little about how their work is presented to the masses.
And unironically, remember how Music for Supermarkets was a statement against the commercialization of music? Well, yeah... Here we are, pushing music out for 'special' occasions and in this quality. Irony comes at you one way or another.

Remember JMJ sold his back catalogue for €millions largest amount in French music history.
Probably part of the contract sale was that JMJ had to go along with whatever the buyers say whatever they release JMJ has to support.

[Oxygene]

Sadly yes, but given that I couldn't pick them up on my laptop speakers this time it means they are much subtler (also they are definitely not in the same spots). But yeah, they're still there and it really wouldn't be hard to remove them. It would be likely a 10-minute job, most of which would be listening carefully to pinpoint them.

Genuinely don't think even that, throw an automatic click remover over it would probably even suffice. But alas, somehow they have two different remasters now from (seemingly) two different sources, both having one problem in common. Genuinely very curious if their equipment is messed up since the clicks are not in the exact same spot. It's an utter insane thing to see unfold and I'm just utterly at a loss any artist could seemingly care so little about how their work is presented to the masses.
And unironically, remember how Music for Supermarkets was a statement against the commercialization of music? Well, yeah... Here we are, pushing music out for 'special' occasions and in this quality. Irony comes at you one way or another.

Remember JMJ sold his back catalogue for €millions largest amount in French music history.
Probably part of the contract sale was that JMJ had to go along with whatever the buyers say whatever they release JMJ has to support.

That's nonsense. He sold the publishing rights. And he chose Dave Dadwater himself.

[plate of chips]

That's nonsense. He sold the publishing rights. And he chose Dave Dadwater himself.

I get why you'd sound upset. It really is a sorry state of affairs regarding what is happening on this 40th anniversary Zoolook.

[czt]

Poor Patrick, he was so overwhelmed with the synths, he gave the wrong master tape again to David. JMJ is actually a "real" hi-fi guy ("warmth").

[Quants0]

Ran DROnline on the new edition, the overall dynamic range scale is 7, one lower than the November version and same as the 2014 remaster.

My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

[Jote]

One more thing WRT to the December edition: Zoolookologie is now 4:17 instead of 4:21, but the only difference seems to be a shorter fadeout of the sound effects.

zoolookologie.png

Blah-Blah Cafe is clearly longer than the November version. I don't know it by heart, but given that both Zoolook and Ethnicolor are taken from 1997, I'm fairly certain this is also the longer 1997 edit.

bbc.png

[Finaero]

From my CDs, the 1984 Zoolookologie is longer than the 1997 one and vice versa with Blah Blah Café

(1997 version on the bottom in all these)

[Jote]

From my CDs, the 1984 Zoolookologie is longer than the 1997 one and vice versa with Blah Blah Café

Yes, BBC is longer on the 1997 edition and that seems to be the one used on the December release (November release had the shorter, 1984 - I assume, version).

As for Zoolookologie, this one is interesting, because on both November and December releases it seems to be the 1984 version, except the December version has a shorter fadeout.

BTW. your screenshot indicates that Zoolookologie has its LR channels flipped on the 1997 release.

Sigh. What a bloody mess ALL those editions are. It would be a good idea to go over all of them and make a definitive comparison (shame there's no Jarre-specific Wiki, but alas, I guess it's too late for that)

[Finaero]

BTW. your screenshot indicates that Zoolookologie has its LR channels flipped on the 1997 release.

Yeah, same with Ethnicolor II (and probably the rest)

[Jote]

Ok, so with regards to the 2024.12 Zoolookologie - it SEEMS to be more or less the 1997 edition (you can hear it in the intro, the intro of the 1984 version or the 2024.11 version has a chorus effect, this one, however sounds very clean), however there seem to be differences in tape speed (when I played the intro of 1997 on 2024.12 on top of each other there was an audible detune, namely the 1997 seems to be pitched higher than the 2024.12) and possibly some editing as well (I'm out of juice and will to check it, this is just too frustrating). Oh yes, and while the mix seems to be, as I said, more or less the same the channels are swapped

[dzoolook]

Among so many remasterings, editions, corrections, saturations, and mistakes, I have to say, honestly, that I am also a bit frustrated.